This Is Guernsey

A LONG-RUNNING family feud came to a head when Giuseppe Pirito drove his car at a ladder on which Allan O’Connor was cleaning windows. But that was not the end of the incident, which occurred in Alderney’s High Street.

Brandishing a knife, Pirito, 59, chased after his daughter’s partner before assaulting him.

The Royal Court jailed the Alderney resident for a year, with Judge Russell Finch telling him it had had enough concerns in relation to knives in the past year.

Pirito and Mr O’Connor had already had one altercation earlier in the day before they clashed again outside a shop.

Pirito drove his Ford Fiesta on to the pavement towards the ladder, hitting it as Mr O’Connor jumped to safety.

Mr O’Connor thumped the bonnet of the car and Pirito emerged from it brandishing a knife and shouting: ‘I’m going to kill you.’

The incident took place in the middle of the afternoon and Pirito’s daughter was also present along with his two grandchildren.

Fearing for the safety of his children, Mr O’Connor ran off towards the nearby cemetery so they would not get involved.

Pirito gave chase and caught up with Mr O’Connor at the entrance.

Mr O’Connor tried to wrestle the knife from Pirito’s grasp and the pair fell to the floor and started to scuffle.

At this point, Pirito’s daughter and fiance appeared and they tried to pull the knife out of his hand. Pirito broke free and started to chase Mr O’Connor again. But as he ran out of the cemetery, he threw the knife into some bushes.

Police were called to the incident by another witness and later caught up with Pirito, whom they arrested.

The knife was also retrieved.

‘Nothing can justify this type of bad behaviour which had real risk of escalating into something worse when a potentially deadly weapon is involved,’ said Judge Finch, sentencing Pirito to six months for assault and six months for possessing an offensive weapon, to run consecutively.

‘It is our view that the public interest will more often than not require an immediate custodial sentence, especially when a blade or other dangerous item is involved.

‘The Court of Alderney and the Guernsey Magistrate’s Court take a firm view in such matters and we underwrite it.

‘The carrying or brandishing of offensive weapons is dangerous and unacceptable and has to be vigorously punished, whether in Guernsey or Alderney.’

Advocate Julia White, who represented Pirito, said her client had only been reacting to ‘quite a bit’ of provocation from Mr O’Connor.

‘He had no intention of causing actual bodily harm. He just wanted to warn him off.’

But Judge Finch said members of the public, including Pirito’s own grandchildren, who were going about their own business should not have had to view such a protracted argument.